Halal and Haram (Food and Drink)

"Halal" is a Quranic Term, which means 'Lawful' or 'Permitted'. Sometimes it is translated as 'Acceptable' or 'Not forbidden'. Halal foods and drinks are permitted for consumption by Allah- the supreme lawgiver. In the Holy Quran, Allah commands Muslims and all of mankind to eat of the Halal things. Eating Halal is obligatory.

Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam) said: “Halal is clear and the Haram (unlawful) is clear. Between the two there are doubtful matters concerning which people do not know. One who avoids them in order to safeguard his deen (religion) and his honour are safe, while if some one indulges in it, he may be indulging in the unlawful……” (Bukhari Additions) 

General Quranic guidance dictates that all foods are Halal except those that are specifically mentioned as Haram (unlawful or prohibited). The Glorious Quran reads: 

“O ye who believes! Eat of the good things wherewith we have provided you, and render thanks to Allah, if it is He whom ye worship. (chapter II, Verse 172)” 

The terms Halal and Haram will be used strictly to describe food products, meat products, cosmetics, personal care products, food ingredients, beverages and food contact materials. Which foods are Halal or which foods are Haram, is decided according to the Holy Quran and the Glorious Shari’ah (Islamic Law).Most diets and foods are considered to be Halaal unless Islamic Law specifically prohibits them.

The following products are definitely Halal: 

 

1. Milk (from cows, sheep, camels, and goats) 
2. Honey 
3. Fish 
4. Plants which are not intoxicant 
5. Fresh or naturally frozen vegetables 
6. Fresh or dried fruits 
7. Legumes and nuts like peanuts, cashew nuts, hazel nuts, walnuts, etc. 
8. Grains such as wheat, rice, rye, barley, oat, etc. 

 

Animals such as cows, sheep, goats, deer, moose, chickens, ducks, game birds, etc., are also Halal, but they must be Zabihah (slaughtered according to Islamic Rites) in order to be suitable for consumption. The procedure is as follows: the animal must be slaughtered by a Muslim. The animal should be put down on the ground (or held it if it is small) and its throat should be slit with a very sharp knife to make sure that the 3 main blood vessels are cut. While cutting the throat of the animal (without severing it), the person must pronounce the name of Allah or recite a blessing which contains the name of Allah, such as "Bismillah Allah-u-Akbar".

Halal slaughter is “the humane method” providing hygienic meat to the consumer. Al Shaddad Bin Aous has quoted this tradition of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upom Him),

“God calls for mercy in everything, so be merciful when you kill and when you slaughter, sharpen your blade to relieve it’s pain”.

Many allegations have been made that Islamic slaughter is not humane to animals. However, Professor Schultz and his colleague Dr. Hazim of the Hanover University, Germany, proved through an experiment, using an Electro encephalograph (EEG) and Electro Cardiogram (ECG) that Islamic slaughter is the humane method of slaughter and captive bolt stunning practiced by the western method, causes severe pain to the animal. The results surprised many.

The opposite of 'Halal' is "Haram", which means 'Unlawful' or 'Prohibited". The other words used for Haram is 'Unacceptable' or 'Forbidden'. Haram foods and drinks are absolutely prohibited for consumption by Allah. Eating Haram is forbidden for every Muslim. If a Muslim consumes Haraam foods, he would be sinful.

The unlawful foods are specifically mentioned in the Glorious Qur’aan, in the following verses:

“He hath forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and swine flesh, and that on which hath been invoked any other name besides Allah’s……..” (Chapter II, Verse 173) 

 

“Forbidden unto you (for food) are: carrion and blood and swine flesh, and that on which hath been invoked the name other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been gored to death, and the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by slaughter) and that which hath been immolated to idols and that ye swear by the divining arrows. This is an abomination….” (Chapter V, Verse 3). 

 

Consumption of alcohol an other intoxicants is prohibited according to the following guidance:

“O ye who believe! Intoxicants and games of chance, and idols and divining arrows are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.” (Chapter V, Verse 9)

 

Meat is the most strictly regulated of the food groups. Not only are blood, pork, and the meat of dead animals or those immolated to other than Allah strongly prohibited, it is also required that the Halal animals be slaughtered while pronouncing the name of Allah at the time of slaughter.

“Eat of that over which the name of Allah hath been mentioned, if ye are believers in his revelations" (Chapter VI, Verse 118) 

 

“And eat not of that whereon Allah’s name hath not been mentioned, for lo! It is abomination. Lo! The devils do inspire their friends to contend with you. But if ye obey them, ye will be in truth idolaters”. (Chapter VI, Verse 121) 

Accordingly, Muslims permit all foods, pure and clean for consumption. Islamic Jurisprudence has derived certain principles from the Ahadeeth to determine whether a particular animal or bird is lawful or unlawful.

The following categories, including any products derived from them or contaminated with them, have been prohibited:

  1. Carrion or dead animals;

  2. Flowing or congealed blood and by-products;

  3. Swine, including all by-products;

  4. Animals slaughtered without pronouncing the name of Allah on them;

  5. Animals killed in a manner which prevents their blood from being fully drained from their bodies;

  6. Animals slaughtered while pronouncing a name other than Allah;

  7. Intoxicants of all types, including alcohol and drugs;

  8. Carnivorous animals with fangs, e.g. lions, dogs, wolves, tigers, etc…

  9. Birds of prey e.g. falcons, eagles, owls, vultures, etc

  10. Reptiles, snakes, crocodiles. Etc

  11. Mules and asses;

  12. Pests such as scorpions, rats, etc;

  13. Reproductive organs of Halal animals.

Basis for the Prohibition

 

In Islam, Allah is the Almighty Creator. He has no partners. The first requirement of a Muslim is to declare that: “There is no deity but Allah and Muhammad (Salallahu alaihi Wasallam) is His Final Messenger.” So everything has to be dedicated to Allah alone. There is no challenge to this fact, and no explanations are required or necessary. The basis for the prohibition of the above categories is purely and strict guidance of the Shari’ah. Attempts have been made to explain or justify some of these prohibitions based on scientific reasoning as follows:

--- Carrion and dead animals are unfit for human consumption because the decaying process leads to the formation of chemicals which are harmful to humans;

--- Blood that is drained from the body contains harmful bacteria, products of metabolism, and toxins;

--- Swine serves as a vector for pathogenic worms to enter the human body. Infections by Trchinella spiralis and taenia solium are not uncommon. Fatty acids, composition of pork fat has been mentioned as incompatible with human fat and biochemical systems;

--- Intoxicants are considered harmful for the nervous system, affecting the census and human judgment leading to social and family problems and in many cases even death.

Although these explanations are sound, the underlying principle behind the prohibitions remains the Divine order:

“Forbidden unto you (for food) are: carrion and blood and swine flesh, and that on which hath been invoked the name other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been gored to death, and the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by slaughter) and that which hath been immolated to idols and that ye swear by the divining arrows. This is an abomination….” (Chapter V, Verse 3). 

"Mushbooh" is an Arabic term which means 'doubtful' or 'suspected'. If one does not know the Halal or Haram status of a particular food or drink, such a food or drink is doubtful. A practicing Muslim prevents himself from consuming doubtful things.

Muslims should avoid such foods containing Mushbooh or questionable ingredients. Before consuming such items, we have to confirm the source of these ingredients. 

-  References: www.shariahprogram.ca;

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